The Sky Sports advert for the 1997-98 season is a masterpiece of absurd pomposity. The actor Sean Bean, the concept of keeping it real in human form, strides relentlessly towards the camera while giving a breathy speech about the meaning of football. “It’s ecstasy, anguish, joy and despair,” he says. “It’s theatre, art, war and love … It’s our religion: we do not apologise for it, we do not deny it … They’re our team, our family, our life.”The pay-off is plea of authenticity. “Football. We know how you feel about it. Because we feel the same.” Golden Goal: Alan Smith for Arsenal v Liverpool (1989) | Nick Miller Read more With the exception of the original Alive and...
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